McConnellsburg High School - Sparta / Flashlites Yearbook (McConnellsburg, PA)

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HALLEY S COMET Halley's Comet returns once again in this photo which was one of the few actually taken. Of the many things that happened this year, two of the major items were Halley's Comet and the disaster concerning the Space Shuttle. First, the return of Halley's Comet. Halley's Comet returns about every 75.512 years. It has done this for many centuries and will last for another million years. This year, the visibility of the comet was not very good. Therefore, many people didn't get to see it. However, many students of MHS may live to see the return in 2061. Scientists predict that this return will be one of the closest encounters with the comet that the Earth has ever had. Chances are that this return will be greater than the 1910 show when almost 97 of the Earth was able to view Halley's. Second, one of the greatest news stories of the year was the disaster concerning the Space Shuttle and her crew. This was the second accident in the history of the NASA program. The Space Shuttle caught on fire and then blew up, killing the first private citizen ever. We should always remember that these people believed that what they doing was to benefit mankind. They would have wanted others to continue going up re- gardless of the risks. They knew the risks and took them and that is what makes the U. S. what it is. One of the Space Shuttles, shown orbiting the Earth, was the vehicle which was to be used to orbit a satellite to gather info, on Halley's Comet. Dana Seiders shows off her sweatshirt. This picture of Halley's Comet shows that a comet has two tails, instead of one which is commonly believed Halley's Comet 2J

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IN MEMORIAM Tkt m m members of ths STS Si-L tllykl, begtoalag back row, left to light! KlUaoa S. Ouixuka, S. Christa Corrigas McAuliffe, Gregory B. Jarvis, Judith A. Resnih, Michael J. Smith, Frascla B. Scobee, aad Rooaid K. McNair. On January 28. 1986, at approximately 11:40 a.m. EST, the flight of Space Shuttle Mission Sl-L abruptly ended in an explosion. Less than 2 minutes earlier, thousands of viewers and school children from across the country watched with joy and enthusiasm as the orbiter carried a crew of seven, among which was the first teacher to travel into space. It is with great sadness that we mourn the pass- ing of these men and women who were members of our NASA family, but it is more important to remember them for their bravery and zest for challenge. In President Reagan's statement to the Nation, he said, “The crew of the Shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them nor the last time we saw them—this morning—as they prepared for their Journey and waved goodbye, and 'slipped the surly bonds of Earth to 'touch the face of God.' 22 Memorian

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McConnell s town turns 200 On April 20, 1786 Daniel and Wil- liam McConnell founded the town of McConnellsburg. Throughout 1986 the town celebrated its 200th birthday with parades, concerts, reenactments, speeches, and all sorts of promotions. The school did its share by taking part in many of the activities. It hosted a mid- winter concert by the U.S. Navy Sea Chanters. Mr. Stepler wrote aBicentennial march which the band performed many times. Mr. Cordell and Miss Rebok helped publish aBicetennial booklet. School groups took part in the parades, and many teachers had classes relating to the town and its birthday. The A. V. Qub videotaped all of the events for the Bicen- tennial Committee. In the end, the celebration was deemed a success, and MHS had done its part. Happy Birthday, McConnellsburg! THE BANK NOTES, a group of employees of the First National Bank, entertain with patriotic selections on Founder's Day. 24 Bicentennial